musings and music of a pop culture failure

I have finally watched the 5th season of Dexter and enjoyed it lots. Got me thinking though, at least for a moment, if it was cool to enjoy something with a vigilant law message so much. Especially as it’s basically about a man teaching a woman how to take revenge for a rape cause on her own she would fail. I find it a bit surprising as the series has its strong independent women but Dexter’s lovers somehow always get the cliche treatment if it comes to personality (& looks) shaping. At least she doesn’t get crazy at the end like the protagonist of ‘Ms. 45′. And this series is of course made to entertain on an easy level and not to spark discussion like, let’s say, ‘Extremities’.

The Birthmark and Lisa Freieck show was great. If you haven’t yet listened to it, I really recommend their album ‘Shaking Hands’, it’s online here.
It was good to have such a thouroughly friendly band (according to certain others ‘the nicest band ever! really: ever!’) as first overnight guests at massacre mansion in 2011 cause somehow it sets the tone for the year.

For the first time in my life I have some vague resolutions for the new year. Okay, not really because of the new year and some of them I’ve already started realising in 2010. One of them is setting up more shows for unknown but awesome bands again, even if no one else or only one more person in my concert group is backing me in this. Somehow the interest in those smaller bands has shrunk in my companions and last year I often was too lazy and it seemed too much work/time/responsibility for me as one person. Will change. There are too many great ones out there and it’s so good to do those shows based on mutual trust.

Tonight is the first example: Two bands I came across last year browsing through german DIY music spheres and whom I instantly liked. THE BLUESCREEN OF DEATH are a boy/girl electropunk band, noisy and screamy and wild, to capture the sound think of early Crystal Castles or think of Kap Bambino, but less commercial of course and of course doing their own thing – no copycats. The other band, LOVE ACADEMY, are one of the few bands to pass my personal “german lyrics suck in 90% of all bands” test which is a tough one and puts them in a league with Dackelblut, up-to-‘Flamingo’ Turbostaat and Trend. The latter also being musically close to them: fast punk with a touch of wave, or even NDW, played very tight and with cool hooklines.

I find it sad that there’s not really much of a scene for this kind of shows in Nürnberg at the moment as there’s far more excitement and fun going on than in having either the same local bands play every two months (which Nürnbergians seem to enjoy but bores the shit out of me), or sticking to one’s own scene – yes, I’m talking to you ‘political’ DIY scene! You have gotten – at least partly – as conservative and lame as back in the 80s/90s. And the kids seem to listen to strictly the same kind of music again. Except if it comes to parties – then dubstep is okay, too. Oh my. No fun, my babe, no fun. Those hc/punk kids should be the ones to put up this show tonight, not me. I should be the one who goes there and gets drunk and stands in the corner smiling wisely and feeling a bit old. :)
I won’t even start criticising the hipster (indie) club kids cause I’m well aware that they still need to have a band mentioned in intro/spex/ipod-advertisement/melt festival line up before they go their show. Where’s your curiosity gone?! Is it all about safe investments instead of letting yourselves be surprised?

Resolution #2 is going a bit slower which might sound contradictory to #1 but I hope with a little more focussing I can make it happen. I want to – no, I need to take more time off again for making music and writing. It’s soothing. It’s existential. I feel incomplete without it. So this has to happen or I’ll implode mentally.

Resolution #3 is being more honest again. I miss my rants. I miss getting steam off and focussing on reasons why I find something bad/boring/sexist/whatever at the same time. I’ve never been the ‘everybody’s darling’ type but last year I’ve calmed down a bit. Makes me feel uncomfortable. Actually everyone is so — friendly and tolerant. Especially in the promoter/dj/etc scene. As if distinction and criticism were so dangerous and necessarily about hate. Ranting also is not backchatting. That’s what had gotten me a bit tired and less outspoken in the first place: Whenever I criticised a detail people were so quickly judging that I hated the whole thing and as if I hadn’t mentioned any reasons and arguments but they spread the word that eve hated or dissed xy. That’s never my point. Criticism can spark discussions. Rants can be so much more productive than keeping your mouth shut and make a polite compliment for stuff that makes you go all fizzy and sick inside for a reason. If we all do the same things and like everything everyone else does and no questioning is allowed for friendlinesses sake – it’s so boring and assimilating and definitely no good ground for a lively (sub)(socio)cultural scene. So don’t be surprised to see me more vexatious/honest/controversial again in 2011. If I haven’t unlearned it.
I love all y’all anyways. Except for you. And you’s a bit dubious, too.

Now I’m off to get the bands some catering and hope a few of you will turn up at the show. Or at the party after. Or both. Have a wonderful week-end.

PS.: Listen to more James Blake and Retox. It’s good for you. The latter is a new band with Justin Pearson playing with his The Locust/Holy Molar/Head Wound City band mate Gabe Serbian again, adding Michael Crain (The Festival Of Dead Deer). Sharp. Tight. “Anger is an energy” music. So good. They have a free EP to download on their website: www.retoxrules.com